Housebuying demand falls as Iran war spikes mortgage rates
Housebuying demand has fallen as Brits take a “wait and see” approach after the Iran war spiked mortgage rates and prompted lenders to take hundreds of deals off the market.
Buyer enquiries were 13 per cent lower in March than a year ago, as mortgage rates climbed by an average of 0.4 per cent over the last month, according to Zoopla’s house price index.
The Iran war has shaken confidence in the housing market, as nearly 1,500 residential mortgages were taken off the market since the start of March – a contraction of nearly 20 per cent.
The country’s property market is becoming reliant on a smaller group of committed buyers as some households begin to delay moves, fearing high mortgage terms and interest rate rises, Zoopla said.
The number of sales agreed in March fell less sharply than buyer enquiries, down two per cent year on year.
Competition is lessening as the pool of buyers contracts, meaning those persisting with house transactions have more negotiating power.
But worsening affordability will hit those reliant on larger loans the hardest, Zoopla said, as the Iran war pushes up mortgage rates.
London prices stall while national market grows
Growth in London’s housing market continues to be weaker than the national picture, with average house prices falling by 0.2 per cent year on year in the capital.
House prices grew by 1.3 per cent in the UK as a whole, with the largest price increases coming in Northern Ireland (7.2 per cent), the North West (3.5 per cent) and the North East (2.8 per cent).
Richard Donnell, Zoopla’s executive director, said: “Some early stage buyers are adopting a wait and see approach but there is a sizable group of committed buyers who are pressing ahead with housing purchases.
If mortgage rates stabilise at current levels we expect sales activity to continue to hold up well compared to last year. Further increases in borrowing costs could weaken demand and impact sales volumes later in the year.”
Tomer Aboody, director of specialist lender MT Finance, said: “While the average house price remains steady, the fall-off in demand is of far greater importance.
“We have seen a lack of desire from the government to help kick start or boost the property market, and if anything, it has helped create even tougher conditions.”
Housebuilders have warned the market is stagnating due to a lack of affordable housing, which in turn affects demand for new homes and slows construction.
The government has pledged to build 1.5m homes by the next general election but the Treasury watchdog has said its planning reforms are yet to kickstart construction.
Some housebuilders have called on Labour to introduce a new loan-to-buy scheme to help first-time buyers enter the property ladder and rejuvenate the construction and houseselling market.